AU2009248158A1

AU2009248158A1 - Electrochemical sensor with diffusion labyrinth

Info

Publication number: AU2009248158A1
Application number: AU2009248158A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Rolf Eckhardt; Martin Weber
Original assignee: MSA Auer GmbH
Current assignee: MSA Europe GmbH
Priority date: 2008-05-15
Filing date: 2009-05-07
Publication date: 2009-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 2029-05-07
Also published as: US20110100811A1; WO2009138357A1; CA2724207C; DE102008024392A1; EP2286210B1; CN102027359A; EP2286210A1; AU2009248158B2; ATE522803T1; DE102008024392B4; CN102027359B; CA2724207A1; US8632665B2

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrochemical sensor including a housing with a chamber containing an electrolyte, at least one measuring electrode for oxygen detection, at least one counter electrode and at least one reference electrode, wherein the sensor has a two-part diffusion barrier, wherein a first part of the barrier forms a labyrinth with a second part of the barrier disposed between the measuring and the counter electrode.

Description

WO 2009/138357 1 PCT/EP2009/055535 Electrochemical sensor with diffusion labyrinth Background of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrochemical sensor, which has a two-part diffusion barrier, wherein a first part of the barrier forms a labyrinth with a second part of the barrier said barrier located between the measuring and counter electrode. This diffusion barrier is particulary useful in a lead-free electrochemical oxygen sensor. The market standard for oxygen sensors is a simple two electrode sensor, in which the cathode is an expendable block of lead. The service life of these sensors depends firstly on the quantity of lead they contain and secondly on the mass flow control of oxygen to the measuring elec trode. The service life is typically between one and three years. Apart from the fixed service life, another disadvan tage of this type of sensor is the use of lead because of its potentially hazardous nature. This has resulted in nu merous attempts to develop lead-free oxygen sensors. Sen sors that use metals other than lead in a consumptive reac tion (e.g. modified zinc-air batteries) must be explicitly excluded at this point, as must those that work with metal oxide electrolytes at high temperatures (e.g. lambda son des)because the invention does neither cover a consumptive sensor nor a sensor that needs high operation temperatures (high means above 1200C) . For some time now, the companies WO 2009/138357 2 PCT/EP2009/055535 Drager and RAE Systems have had oxygen sensors on the mar ket that function at ambient temperatures (-40'C to 600C) according to the oxygen pump principle. In these sensors, oxygen is reduced to 02- (which further reacts to form wa ter) at the measuring electrode (ME) and at the counter electrode (CE) 02- (from water) is oxidised to form oxygen gas. As a result the mass balance is set. This kind of sen sor, however, needs a third electrode, a reference elec trode (RE), against which the measuring electrode potential is maintained within a range of -300 to -800 mV. This sen sor working principle is documented in numerous patents and patent applications. One of the first patents is US 3328277A from the company Honeywell in 1964, in which a lead-free oxygen sensor is operated with a scavenger elec trode. Further descriptions of measuring cells, which can also be used to measure gaseous oxygen, come from Drager in the 1990's (DE 4231256 C2 and DE 1962293 Cl). These firstly describe the use of different metals in the measuring elec trodes and secondly identify a platinum-oxygen electrode as the stable reference electrode. The range of metals used for oxygen reduction can be extended to include other platinum metals, such as iridium, for example. However, the use of a Pt air-oxygen electrode as a reference electrode was suggested in the textbook Elektrochemische Kinetik written by Prof. Dr. K. Vetter in the 1960's (K. Vetter, Elektrochemische Kinetik, Springer Verlag, 1961), in which the author described 02 reduction on platinum surfaces. A Nernst correlation between the 02 partial pressure and the reduction potential, which patent DE 4231256 C2 wants to avoid, can therefore be excluded as improbable for standard customary electrodes.

WO 2009/138357 PCT/EP2009/055535 More recent patents and patent applications deal with find ing a solution to the central problems involved in con structing a lead-free 02 sensor, namely, maintaining an oxygen concentration gradient between the ME and the CE and also removing the 02 gas produced at the CE (to prevent back diffusion of 02 to the ME) . The Drager patent DE 19726453 C2 describes how the ME is protected by a fourth electrode from back diffusion of dissolved 02 gas in the electrolyte. Patent DE 19845318 C2, which follows a similar line, aims to achieve this effect using sintered elec trodes. US Patent 6666963 B1 from Industrial Scientific claims that gases occurring in the sensor are removed via a pressure-compensating system. In this case, the distance required between the ME and the CE is obtained by locating the electrodes at opposite ends of the sensor. The latest direction taught in the patent literature in volves increasing the robustness of the sensors. This firstly increases their service life and breadth of appli cation and, secondly, opens up the possibility of miniatur ising gas sensors while maintaining or improving their per formance. Published patent application DE 102004037 Al from Drager describes the construction of a very flat sensor us ing ionic liquids as the electrolyte. Drager's patent DE 102004059280 B4 specifically describes a flat 02 gas sen sor, in which the ME is protected from 02 back diffusion with a Nafion membrane and is also provided with an inte grated memory chip. US Patent 7258773 B2 from RAE Systems works with Nafion as the solid electrolyte, to ensure there are no leaks. Protection from back-diffusion of gas to the ME occurs here too. The construction of oxygen sensors with Nafion membranes is clearly taught in Y. Osada, D.E. DeRossi, Polymer Sensors and Actuators, Springer (2000); WO 2009/138357 PCT/EP2009/055535 original source: H.Q. Yan, J.T Lu (1989) Sensors and Actua tors 19:33. A more recent sensor is presented in published patent ap plication WO 2007/115801 Al from MST-Technology. Here, the ME and CE are on one level in the sensor. The ME is in con tact with the outside world through a gas diffusion bar rier; the CE is characterised by a plurality of openings designed to remove the oxygen gas generated. The ME is sur rounded by a barrier placed concentrically around it. This concentric barrier is used to increase the distance between the ME and CE, which is necessary in order to create an 02 concentration gradient. The back-diffusion of 02 into the solution is thereby prevented. One disadvantage of this simple, concentric barrier, how ever, is that a large number of components is required, since the ME and CE cannot be combined in a single compo nent. The need for several components increases the prob ability of manufacturing errors and complicates the struc ture. Furthermore, only a relatively small increase in dis tance is possible with this simple, concentric barrier. In order to guarantee a stable gradient, the diffusion dis tance between the ME and CE must be of a certain minimum length. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an electrochemical sensor requiring less components, whereby making the design sim pler and the operation of the sensor more reliable and ro bust. It is also desireable to provide a greater distance WO 2009/138357 5 PCT/EP2009/055535 between the CE and ME using a diffusion barrier while still maintaining a small, compact sensor. These advantages are achived by an electrochemical sensor in accordance with claim 11. While these advantages can be achieved in various electrochemical sensors, including H 2 S,

H

2 and CO as well as oxygen, the benefits will be described primarily in relation to an oxygen sensor. Generally the present invention comprises an electrochemical oxygen sen sor (1), consisting of a housing (11) with a chamber con taining an electrolyte (9), at least one measuring elec trode (2a) for analyte detection, at least one counter electrode (2b) and at least one reference electrode (7), as well as an opening (4) which controls the mass flow (flux) of oxygen to the measuring electrode (2a) and at least one ventilation opening (5) at the counter electrode (2b) (and additional ventilation openings (10), if necessary), char acterised in that the sensor (1) has a two-part diffusion barrier, wherein a first part (12) of the barrier forms a labyrinth shape with a second part (6) of the barrier, dis posed between the measuring and the counter electrode (2a, 2b). For functional reasons, there must be a diffusion gap be tween the ME and CE, across which an analyte gradient can be formed. In the case of an oxygen sensor, the gradient has a value of zero for the oxygen concentration at the ME and, typically, >20.9% at the CE. Gaseous oxygen is thereby reduced to water at the ME; the oxygen anion in the water is oxidised to oxygen gas at the CE. The reaction is main tained by a bias voltage of between -300 and -800mV, which is applied between the reference electrode (RE) and ME. In WO 2009/138357 6 PCT/EP2009/055535 order to prevent a potential shift at the RE, the RE should be located outside the gradient between the ME and CE. In one embodiment, the first part of the diffusion barrier (12) carries a membrane (15) with the measuring electrode (2a) and counter electrode (2b) on one level. Compared with most of the sensors described above, this sensor has the benefit that if the ME and CE are on one level in the sen sor, the sensor can miniaturized more easily and the ohmic resistance (which is related to the sensor response time) can be minimized. The effective distance between the ME and CE, which is needed in order to create a sufficient 02 con centration gradient, is produced by a labyrinth of semicir cular, interlacing barriers. The measuring electrode (2a) is preferably circular in de sign and the counter electrode (2b) is preferably an open or closed ring and these are disposed concentrically to one another. In case of the open ring for the CE an additional advantage is that the ME contact lead need not cross the CE, which in turn minimises the risk of an electrical short-circuit between the ME and CE. The first part (12) and a second part (6) of the barrier preferably each have at least one essentially annular wall (13, 14) with a break in at least one section, which to gether form the diffusion labyrinth. In this case, it is preferable for the second part (6) of the barrier to have at least one annular wall (14) with a break in at least one section, wherein the walls of the first part (12) and those of the second part (6) are disposed in one another, such that the open section of an inner wall in each case faces WO 2009/138357 PCT/EP2009/055535 an adjacent wall of the other part lying further outside. In one embodiment of the electrochemical oxygen sensor (1), the walls (13, 14) of the first part (12) and those of the second part (6) together form a wavelike channel in cross section (see Fig. 1). This facilitates the ME and CE being formed on one membrane, making it possible for both to be located on one part. Consequently, the sensor construction is simplified (having less parts) and can be manufactured less expensively. The same applies to an embodiment of the sensor using glass fibre separators or discs of solid elec trolyte. Another embodiment is an electrochemical oxygen sensor (1), in which the walls (13) of the first part (12) are adjacent to the second part and the walls (14) of the second part (6) are adjacent to the first part of the barrier (see Fig. 2). To achieve a greater effective distance between the ME and the CE, it is preferable for the first part (12) and the second part (6) of the electrochemical oxygen sensor (1) to have at least two walls (13, 14) each (see Fig. 5 and 6). Of course, more walls can be used to achieve an even greater effective distance. In one embodiment of the electrochemical oxygen sensor (1), the at least one ventilation opening (5) at the counter electrode (2b) passes out of the oxygen sensor at the side. This protects it from becoming blocked by dirt and other material during field use. In a preferred embodiment, the ventilation openings (5) at the counter electrode (2b) are interconnected.

WO 2009/138357 8 PCT/EP2009/055535 Preferably, the RE lies outside the 0 2 -concentration gradient between the ME and CE and is unaffected by the gradient, which provide for a stable RE, even after years of use. The materials used for the electrodes (2a, 2b, 7) are known to those skilled in the art and are preferably chosen from the group made up of copper, silver, gold, nickel, palla dium and platinum or oxides of these metals. The materials used for the individual electrodes can be the same or dif ferent. In one embodiment, the electrodes (2a, 2b, 7) are graphite electrodes, which are coated with materials from the group made up of copper, silver, gold, nickel, palla dium and platinum or oxides of these metals. Again the ma terials used for each individual electrode can be the same or different. Particularly preferable is the use of materi als from the group made up of gold, platinum, platinum ox ide and mixtures of platinum and platinum oxide. In a preferred embodiment of the electrochemical oxygen sensor (1), the membrane (15) on which the measuring and counter electrode (2a, 2b) are located is gas-permeable. It is further preferable for at least one of the openings (4), (5) and (10) to be closed off by a gas-permeable seal (3). At least one of the openings (4), (5) and (10) is preferably sealed off by a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film. It is likewise preferable for the opening which controls mass flow (4) to be a diffusion barrier. This diffusion barrier (16) is preferably selected from the group of cap- WO 2009/138357 PCT/EP2009/055535 illaries, membranes or films. It is particularly preferable for this opening use a capillary as the diffusion barrier (16). To create a capillary, it is possible to simply drill a hole in the first part (12) of the diffusion barrier. A minimum hole cross-section of roughly 100pm can be achieved with a length of 2 mm using a conventional drill. However, the risk of the bit breaking off is very high and bits are comparatively expensive. Smaller holes can be made using laser drills. Certain applications make it necessary to dispense with capillary mass flow control and instead use a leak-proof film in conjunction with a prepared opening, in order to obtain a partial-pressure-dependent oxygen sensor. This is used primarily in medical technology (the functioning of the human lung is also 02 partial pressure dependent). In relation to the films, which may be used as a diffusion barrier (16) at the opening which controls the mass flow (4), films from the group made up of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), po lymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyaryletheretherketone (PEEK)and polytetrafluori nated ethylene (PTFE). In another preferred embodiment, the mass flow control opening (4) is a Knudsen membrane. In one embodiment of the electrochemical sensor (1) the electrolyte is an aqueous solution with an acidic or basic pH-value.

WO 2009/138357 1 PCT/EP2009/055535 The electrolyte should preferably be securely contained within the sensor to guarantee the sensor's functionality. Several embodiments are possible for this. In one embodi ment of the present invention, the electrolyte is main tained in an absorbent medium, chosen from the group made up of glass fibre mats, plastic discs or silica gel. Alter natively the electrolyte can be present as an acid-soaked silica gel. In another embodiment, the electrolyte is pre sent in the form of an acidic, electroconductive gel. Still another alternative is the use of glass fibre fleeces soaked with sulphuric acid or other acids. Another advantage of the sensor according to the present invention is its very open design. For example, the use of a plurality of ventilation openings means that pressure can easily escape from the sensor. This is particularly impor tant in an oxygensensor given the fact that oxygen is con tinuously being produced at the CE and must be immediately removed, in order to preclude the adverse consequences of high internal pressures (such as signal fluctuations and leaks) from the very outset. The effect of pressure waves and rapid pressure fluctuations should also be minimized with this design. These advantages can also be achieved by using vents in various other electrochemical sensors, in cluding H 2 S, H 2 and CO as well as oxygen. Figures 1 to 6 show embodiments of the present invention wherein. Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochemical sensor (1) wherein the walls (13, 14) of the first part (12) and of the second part WO 2009/138357 11 PCT/EP2009/055535 (6) together form a wavelike channel in cross section; Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of the electrochemical sensor from Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochemical sensor (1), in which the walls (13) of the first part (12) are adjacent to the second part and the walls (14) of the second part (6) are adjacent to the first part of the diffu sion barrier; Fig. 4 shows a schematic top view of the electrochemical sensor from Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrochemical sensor, wherein the first part (12) of the electrochemical sensor (1) has two walls (13) and the second part (6) of the elec trochemical sensor (1) has three walls (14); Fig. 6 shows a schematic top view of the electrochemical sensor from Fig. 5.

WO 2009/138357 12 PCT/EP2009/055535 Reference list 1 Electrochemical oxygen sensor 2a Measuring electrode 2b Counter electrode 3 Seal 4 Mass flow control opening 5 Ventilation opening 6 Second part of the diffusion barrier 7 Reference electrode 8 Base disc 9 Electrolyte 10 Ventilation opening 11 Housing 12 First part of the diffusion barrier 13 Wall 14 Wall 15 Membrane 16 Diffusion barrier

Claims

1. An electrochemical sensor (1), comprising a housing (11) with a chamber containing an electrolyte (9), at least one measuring electrode (2a) for analyte detec tion, at least one counter electrode (2b) and at least one reference electrode (7), as well as an opening which controls mass flow (4) to the measuring elec trode (2a), characterised in that the sensor (1) has a two-part diffusion barrier, wherein a first part (12) of the barrier forms a labyrinth with a second part (6) of the barrier disposed between the measuring and the counter electrode (2a, 2b).

2. An electrochemical sensor (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is an oxygen sensor.

3. An electrochemical sensor (1) according to claim 1 or 2, which has at least one ventilation opening (5) at the counter electrode (2b).

4. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first part of the diffusion barrier (12) carries a membrane (15) with the measur ing and counter electrode (2a, 2b) on one level.

5. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the measuring electrode (2a) is circular in design and the counter electrode (2b) an open or closed ring and these are disposed concentri cally to one another. WO 2009/138357 14 PCT/EP2009/055535

6. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the first part (12) and the second part (6) of the two-part diffusion barrier each have at least one essentially annular wall (13, 14) with a break in at least one section, which together form the diffusion labyrinth.

7. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the second part (6) of the two-part diffusion barrier has at least one annular wall (14) with a break in at least one section, wherein the walls of the first part (12) and those of the second part (6) are disposed in one another, such that the open section of an inner wall in each case points to an adjacent wall of the other part lying further outside.

8. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the walls (13, 14) of the first part (12) and those of the second part (6) to gether form a wavelike channel in cross-section.

9. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the walls (13) of the first part (12) are adjacent to the second part and the walls (14) of the second part (6) are adjacent to the first part of the barrier.

10. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the first part (12) and the second part (6) have at least two walls (13, 14) each. WO 2009/138357 15 PCT/EP2009/055535

11. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the at least one ventila tion opening (5) at the counter electrode (2b) passes out of the sensor at the side.

12. The electrochemical sensor (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 11, wherein the ventilation openings (5) at the counter electrode (2b) are interconnected.